That Stings

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Translator: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ruby

Chapter: 60

Chapter Title: That Stings

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"My barrier...this shouldn't be possible...!"

The dimension-splitting witch, Ledeia, muttered with a trembling voice.

I scoffed at that.

"That's what you think."

At the same time, I summoned the Golden Spear, aimed it at Count Mollen, and threw it with all my strength.

Shwooooom!

The Golden Spear cut through the air with an eerie sound.

Since it was a close distance that was physically hard to dodge, Count Mollen transformed into a swarm of black bats.

Whoosh.

The Golden Spear flew straight through the bat swarm.

Having only annihilated a few bats.

Seeing this, Andrew shouted.

"Physical attacks don't work on him! Some other method..."

"That's also what you think."

I answered Andrew's words.

"No. This isn't the time to joke around, you know? They really don't work!"

Andrew seemed to think my words were simply a joke.

However, I wasn't the type to enjoy joking around like that.

Instead of answering, I gestured with my chin to turn Andrew's gaze toward Count Mollen.

Count Mollen had returned to his original form from the bat swarm.

But.

Sssssss...!

From around Count Mollen's abdomen, smoke was rising.

Cold sweat quietly trickled down from his forehead.

Andrew's eyes trembled as he confirmed that with his own two eyes.

"How did you do that..."

He said while alternately looking at me and Count Mollen.

'Has he never encountered a high-ranking vampire even once until now?'

Then Andrew's struggle made sense.

In fact, as I had initially thought, Count Mollen was an opponent Andrew could sufficiently handle.

Looking at the situation, it didn't seem like Ledeia had interfered either.

Yet the fact that he had been beaten this badly...

It could be called a lack of experience.

'I should sprinkle some veteran player tips.'

I also felt a bit sorry for having overlooked Andrew's experience level.

With my gaze fixed on Count Mollen, I opened my mouth.

"Andrew. Just because they transformed into bats, don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠give up and stop attacking. I'm saying to slash the bats. When they transform into bats, it's not that attacks become impossible, it's just that attacks become slightly more difficult. Attacks aren't nullified in bat form."

"...!"

Hearing my hint, life returned to Andrew's eyes again.

On the other hand, as if he'd been hit right on the mark, disturbance appeared on Count Mollen's face.

Regardless of that, I continued my words.

"With your authority of scorching heat, you should be able to deal much greater damage with each strike than ordinary knights. Maintain your composure and face him slowly."

And Andrew stood up again, using his sword as a cane.

"Phew...I was about to give up..."

He raised his sword close to his ear.

It was Andrew's favorite basic stance.

It meant that the spark of fighting spirit he had lost was beginning to blaze again.

"As expected, Sir Rohan...I can't help but respect you!"

As if uncomfortable with Andrew's momentum reviving, Count Mollen opened those red eyes viciously toward me.

"The match has already tilted greatly. Do you think the atmosphere will change just because one more of you has appeared at this point?"

"Ah. I knew that would happen, so I brought more."

I swung my sword once again.

Slash! Slash!

Diaz, Count Gargent, and Inquisitor Jefron successively crossed over the dimensional barrier and entered.

It was an expedition team assembly.

***

Count Gargent stood beside me and frowned.

"Count Mollen. What is that appearance of yours?"

"...Chancellor."

"How much did I trust you, and this is how you repay me?"

"You trusted me? You, Chancellor? I never thought that even once. What always came back to me was only reproach."

"Didn't you consider that there was reproach because there were expectations?"

"...Are you trying to turn my heart back even now? It's too late!"

Count Mollen bared his sharp fangs.

"It's too late! I've already crossed a river of no return! You, and everyone present here! None of you will return alive."

"Truly..."

I wasn't particularly pleased with the conversation dragging on unnecessarily.

I stepped forward one step and cut off their conversation.

"Are you planning to fight with your mouths?"

"No. I will send all of you to the afterlife."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well. That seems difficult. Inquisitor Jefron."

"Yes. Sir Rohan."

"I'd like you to help Andrew out a bit."

"Understood."

I paired Jefron with Andrew.

"Diaz."

"Yes! Lord Rohan!"

"The target is clear."

"That's right."

Diaz's gaze was solely glaring at Count Soleon.

At him, the mastermind who had led to Leanoa's death from behind Mordon.

"No problem handling him alone?"

"Of course. I just heard the countermeasure method."

"Finish it. Your revenge."

"I receive your command!"

I decided to entrust Count Soleon to Diaz.

"Ridiculous. You alone against me?"

Diaz didn't answer, slightly tense, but I could tell.

With her current skill level, she could sufficiently handle it.

Thanks to the results of my recent special training, though Diaz herself hadn't realized it, she had already reached Andrew's level.

Andrew seemed to have been beaten because he didn't know the countermeasure method.

But the current Diaz knew the high-ranking vampire countermeasure method thanks to what I had told her.

'The one who should feel ridiculous will actually be you.'

Thanks to that, Count Gargent, who had awkwardly ended up with nothing to do, stood beside me.

"Impressive. How do you know so much about vampires? Is it because you're an inquisitor? I should increase support for the church from now on."

In fact, among users, the method of dealing with high-ranking vampires was almost just basic common knowledge...

But it seemed only I knew it here.

If they're surprised by just this much...

I thought everyone might faint later when the real veteran player power comes out.

***

Having roughly entrusted the small fries to my allies.

I now came to stand face-to-face with Ledeia in earnest.

High-ranking vampires, of course, couldn't be called easy opponents by any means either.

When high-ranking vampires first appeared in the early stages, there was no moment as hellish as that.

However, compared to the dimension-splitting witch Ledeia standing before my eyes right now, they were merely mid-boss level.

'I know the strategy, but...I am scared.'

Ledeia, just as she appeared now, was a being who couldn't see ahead.

So it was known that her other senses were more sensitive.

Because of that, I was worried that my fear might be detected and she might rampage to her heart's content.

To be honest, Ledeia was a being that was almost impossible for me to face at my current level.

The strategy I chose was only to prevent Ledeia from using other patterns through combined attacks.

Ledeia in a state where she could comfortably use all her magic was powerful enough to require choosing such a strategy.

That's why I couldn't entrust her to others.

Andrew and Diaz were clearly still below me.

Besides me, there was no one present who could face that monster.

'From the beginning, she's a monster whose setting uses concepts like dimensions.'

Just hearing that, doesn't it already easily surpass the ordinary?

If I didn't induce the exact same pattern I saw in the original work...

Perhaps the one who would be defeated could be me.

Until now, no matter who I met, I had never particularly been afraid.

But this time felt a little different.

'Phew...!'

I swallowed my fear as deep inside as possible.

Even being careful that my breathing might tremble.

'It didn't show, right?'

I too heightened my senses to the extreme and glared at Ledeia.

But...

'Huh?'

Instead, I caught sight of her side trembling slightly.

'Why?'

My head filled with question marks.

***

"You, you...! Could it be from a hundred years ago...!"

Ledeia's fingertips were trembling.

Wait, hold on...

Was she properly mistaken?

'That I'm the Mage?'

Right, since she has no eyes, she wouldn't have been able to see my face.

She wouldn't have been able to see the Mage's face either.

Diaz and Andrew also seemed to be thinking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the exact same thing as me.

At Ledeia's remark, they grinned.

Especially Andrew, who had been getting beaten until now, seemed to have lingering resentment and spat out a word.

"You noticed too late! Lady!"

"...!"

Andrew's remark drove in the wedge of misunderstanding.

"I see. No one could possibly split my barrier...I thought it was strange!"

Since she was getting scared on her own, I felt there was no need for me to specifically deny it by saying 'That's not me.'

So I raised the corners of my mouth.

"You managed to escape again..."

"Huhu. To think you were still alive. I definitely felt something similar before as well. You, are you really human?"

"You didn't ask thinking I'd answer, did you? I remember we're not in a relationship where we'd share stories about how we've lived."

Because I also had nothing to explain.

The Mage was such a strange character.

At my words, which I brushed off casually, Ledeia nodded.

"If I kill you and then dissect you thoroughly...I should be able to know a little?"

She's saying such brutal things.

But unfortunately, that wouldn't happen.

Because I was planning to struggle with all my might!

I reminded Count Gargent once again of what I had told him.

"The archers are important."

"Of course. I remember."

The reason I didn't assign Count Gargent to the other two vampires.

It wasn't just because he was an old soldier.

It was because I had a task to entrust to him.

Command of the archer unit.

I had seen it briefly, but his commanding ability was excellent.

Enough that I could safely entrust my rear to him.

At Count Gargent's answer, I nodded and stepped forward one step.

Pattern restriction through quantity pressure.

Plus, what was impossible in the original work...even a mental attack using lies!

'There's sufficient chance of victory!'

I gave Count Gargent a signal with eyes that said the time had come.

Count Gargent raised his arm.

And the archers all at once nocked their arrows and drew them to the end.

Creeeeak!

The heavy sound of bowstrings pulled taut backward could be heard faintly.

'Now. What will you do? Witch.'

As if answering my question.

Ledeia extended her hand toward me.

Then, at her fingertips, a small circular dimension formed.

She compressed it with both hands as if distorting it.

Crackle crackle, crack!...Crash!

She shattered it into tremendously small pieces.

Mysteriously, each piece of the shattered dimension transformed into a sharp form about the size of a bullet.

And when she spread both hands wide again.

Pew pew pew pew pew! Pew pew pew!

Countless sharp pieces flew toward only me.

It was because I was standing at the very front.

Fwoosh! Fwoo-fwoosh! Fwoo-fwoo-fwoosh!

Since it was matter from another dimension, it escaped the physical laws of this place.

Faster than any thrown weapon, flying at a speed almost rivaling bullets, they embedded themselves all over my body.

No knight could dodge this.

How could a human react when it's flying at bullet speed?

Even in the original work, it wasn't a non-targeting skill that could be dodged, but just a targeting magic that you absolutely had to take.

Such a guaranteed attack even had the power to blow away about half the health of a decent tank.

'This is why even high-level players struggled.'

After turning me into a beehive, Ledeia's mouth corners rose slightly.

But the one who should really be smiling was actually me.

'I've got you! Pattern!'

The shattered dimension fragment attack succeeds on the enemy standing at the very front.

And if that doesn't kill the opponent...the next pattern becomes fixed.

This was a very grateful strike that confirmed one branch among dozens of Ledeia's attack patterns had been selected.

And it was exactly what I wanted!

Whoooosh!

My pierced body quickly recovered thanks to the Phoenix's power.

And I smiled and raised my sword.

"That stings."

"...! You recovered from that?...That's impossible...!"

It was a strategy that only I, who possessed Pico's Phoenix power, could use.

I immediately continued to the next action.

With this, the first pattern was decided, but there were still several branches remaining.

To perfectly fix it.

With my body already completely fine, I ran straight toward her head-on.

Thud thud!

Ledeia, looking slightly flustered, hurriedly prepared her next magic.

She gathered her empty hands and spread them wide, and a red whip was created.

'Good. That's the pattern, right?'

Ledeia swung the whip widely and sent it at me.

And I raised the corners of my mouth and ran along the safe route half a beat earlier.

Crack! Crack!

The whip flew with a vicious sound.

But I dodged all those attacks like someone who had seen the future.

At that, Ledeia's face gradually filled with shock.

"Wh-why aren't these hitting...!"

Having closed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the distance in an instant, I—

Precisely aimed at Ledeia's face, put all my strength into the Giant Soldier's left arm...!

Creeeeak!

And extended my clenched fist.

From Ledeia's mouth, a curse mixed with a sigh burst out.

"Damn it?..."

Whaaaaam!